The MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs On A Visit to His Eminence Bishop Sami Fawzi Shehata, Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa
Bishop Shehata Praises the Work of the Council's Departments, Programs and Advanced Media.
Professor Michel Abs: "We always strive for joint Christian work and to enhance dialogue with others."
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
Cairo, February 12, 2025
Within the framework of enhancing joint Christian work and affirming the role of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) in spreading the spirit of love among all, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, along with a delegation from the Council, visited the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, His Eminence Bishop Sami Fawzi Shehata at the headquarters of the Episcopal Church in Cairo.
The meeting was attended by the MECC Honorary Secretary General Dr. Gergis Saleh, the MECC Associate Secretary General Reverend Dr. Refaat Fikry, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Council of Churches Father Yachouh Ayoub, and the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, the Media Officer and the Coordinator of the Church and Media Relations at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).
At the beginning, His Eminence Bishop Sami Shehata welcomed the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs and the Council's delegation, stressing that his visit enhances fraternity and cooperation between the Churches.
His Eminence praised the progress, achievements and programs that the Council is achieving and presenting at all levels, especially the media ones, for the good of the people, the Church and society.
In his turn, Professor Michel Abs responded with a word of thanks and affirmed that the core interests of the Council are to strengthen relations between the Churches and enhance joint Christian work. He provided a detailed explanation of all the programs carried out by the Council's departments.
He also talked about the topic of dialogue, indicating that dialogue is not a specific mechanism, but rather a goal that must be achieved through effective and fruitful dialogue that includes specialists and academicians in order to reach its objective.
Both parties stressed the importance of avoiding hate speech and sowing the language of love and harmony between Religions, especially in light of the current circumstances in the region. They also discussed some of the situations that the region is going through.
In a related context, the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary provided an explanation about the media work in the Council and the new strategy that was developed for the year 2025, looking forward to more cooperation with the Churches in order to spread the constructive and purposeful media message.
In his turn, His Eminence expressed his full readiness to cooperate with the Council's purposeful media.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary General Professor Michel Abs offered the logo of the MECC Fiftieth Year to His Eminence Bishop Sami Shehata, who in turn offered the book of Saint Mark in African Memory as a token of love and appreciation.
